There are many situations where the refractive index of a fluid needs to be measured, for instance in commercial, industrial or medical applications. A conventional refractometer requires a sample of the fluid to be taken out of its container. This patent application describes a method that does not require a sample to be taken: the fluid may remain in its container, which may remain closed. The exemplary application in the description is to measure the sugar content of wine in an unopened bottle.
It is of interest to know the sugar content of wines, however, the degree of sweetness often is not indicated on the bottle label, and, if it is indicated, it is usually in most general terms, such as “semi-dry” or “extra dry”. Some wine-producing regions, such as Germany and Austria as well as the Alsace region in France, bottle many different degrees of sweetness of wines otherwise similar in packaging, which causes confusion with consumers, and at worst, poor food-wine pairings and uneasy dinners.
In another instance, a bottle of counterfeit wine can be discerned by measuring the sugar content of the wine.
In yet another instance, a wine merchant needs to be able to recommend wines for her customers with precision with regards to the sugar content.
Also, in yet another instance, diabetic persons need to know the sugar content of a beverage that they are considering.
These and other difficulties experienced with the prior art products and methods have been obviated in a novel manner by the present invention.
It is therefore, an outstanding object of some embodiments of the present invention to provide a means for ascertaining the true sugar content of a bottled wine without opening the bottle.
Another object of some embodiments of the present invention is to decrease the resulting confusion caused by vague sugar content labeling on some wine bottles.
A further object of some embodiments of the present invention is to improve the ability of a consumer to match up the sugar content of a particular wine with compatible foods.
A still further object of some embodiments of the present invention is to decrease the possibility of a host serving a wine which has an inappropriate sugar level at a particular dinner event where such a characteristic of the wine is important.
A still further object of some embodiments of the present invention is to uncover an unexpected sugar content of a bottled wine which may suggest that the bottled wine is a counterfeit.
A still further object of some embodiments of the present invention is to supplement the ability of a wine merchant to recommend wines for her customers with precision with regards to the sugar content.
A still further object of some embodiments of the present invention is to assist a diabetic in recognizing if a particular bottle of wine has an appropriate sugar content level for their particular health needs.
With these and other objects in view, as will be apparent to those skilled in the art, the invention resides in the combination of parts set forth in the specification and covered by the claims appended hereto, it being understood that changes in the precise embodiment of the invention herein disclosed may be made within the scope of what is claimed without departing from the spirit of the invention.